Unusual Bracelet With Pink Star Sapphires and Diamonds, Sri Lanka ca. 1940

The island of Ceylon, which was only renamed Sri Lanka in 1972, is home to some of the most famous and productive gemstone sites on the planet. The island is located southeast of the Indian subcontinent in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Ceylon is considered to be the oldest mining area for these precious gems, and contemporary reports indicate that Ceylon's sapphires were set into jewellery by Greeks and Romans as far back as classical antiquity. Even King Solomon is said to have wooed the legendary Queen of Sheba with sapphires from the area around Rathnapura, which means "City of Gems" in Sinhalese. The present bracelet comes from this legendary island. Handcrafted in the years around 1940, this intricate piece of jewellery presents 21 cabochon cut pink star sapphires. The coloured stones are accompanied by a total of 30 old European cut diamonds weighing more than 3.80 ct in total. It should be emphasized that the star sapphires are natural, untreated stones whose colour and structure have not been improved by firing. The stones show a gentle, natural asterism, i.e. a star that wanders across the surfaces of the stones when the light falls on them (See: Learn more!). The bracelet is made of a site-specific low gold alloy and silver, decorated with fine engravings on the sides. The bracelet wraps around the wrist like a hoop, where it delights with its unusual play of colour. A detailed certificate has confirmed the quality of the materials.

Estimate:£7,891.2

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